A Narrative of the Life and Adventures of Venture, a Native of Africa, but Resident above Sixty Years in the United States of America, Related by HimselfSmith, Venture
History
A Narrative of the Life and Adventures of Venture, a Native of Africa, but Resident above Sixty Years in the United States of America, Related by Himself
Smith, Venture
Slavery -- Connecticut
I was born at Dukandarra, in Guinea, about the year 1729. My father's
name was Saungm Furro, Prince of the Tribe of Dukandarra. My father
had three wives. Polygamy was not uncommon in that country,
especially among the rich, as every man was allowed to keep as many
wives as he could maintain. By his first wife he had three children.
The eldest of them was myself, named by my father Broteer. The other
two were named Cundazo and Soozaduka. My father had two children by
his second wife, and one by his third. I descended from a very large,
tall and stout race of beings, much larger than the generality of
people in other parts of the globe, being commonly considerably above
six feet in height, and in every way well proportioned.
The first thing worthy of notice which I remember was, a contention
between my father and mother, on account of my father's marrying his
third wife without the consent of his first and eldest, which was
contrary to the custom generally observed among my countrymen. In
consequence of this rupture, my mother left her husband and country,
and travelled away with her three children to the eastward. I was
then five years old. She took not the least sustenance along with
her, to support either herself or children. I was able to travel
along by her side; the other two of her offspring she carried one on
her back, and the other being a sucking child, in her arms. When we
became hungry, my mother used to set us down on the ground, and gather
some of the fruits which grew spontaneously in that climate. These
served us for food on the way. At night we all lay down together in
the most secure place we could find, and reposed ourselves until
morning. Though there were many noxious animals there; yet so kind
was our Almighty protector, that none of them were ever permitted to
hurt or molest us. Thus we went on our journey until the second day
after our departure from Dukandarra, when we came to the entrance of a
great desert. During our travel in that we were often affrighted with
the doleful howlings and yellings of wolves, lions, and other animals.
After five days travel we came to the end of this desert, and
immediately entered into a beautiful and extensive interval country.
Here my mother was pleased to stop and seek a refuge for me. She left
me at the house of a very rich farmer. I was then, I should judge,
not less than one hundred forty miles from my native place, separated
from all my relations and acquaintance. At this place my mother took
her farewell of me, and set out for her own country. My new guardian,
as I shall call the man with whom I was left, put me into the business
of tending sheep, immediately after I was left with him. The flock
which I kept with the assistance of a boy, consisted of about forty.
We drove them every morning between two and three miles to pasture,
into the wide and delightful plains. When night drew on, we drove
them home and secured them in the cote.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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